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<h1>Object prompts</h1>
<p>Object prompts provide users the ability to add additional objects to 
 a report. You can let users select from almost any object available in 
 MicroStrategy. The objects the user selects in the prompt are placed on 
 the report. This essentially allows users to create their own reports, 
 although you use the object prompt to control what objects they can choose 
 to include on their reports.</p>
<p>For example, you can create a prompt that allows users to choose from 
 a list of existing stand-alone filters to apply to the report. Or, you 
 can create a prompt that displays the Day, Month, Quarter, and Year attributes 
 to users, so the user can specify the granularity of the report. Object 
 prompts enable you to provide versatile reports to users. </p>
<p>Additional examples and images of an object prompt can be found in the 
 <span style="font-style: italic;"><I>Answering Questions about Data</I></span> 
 chapter in the<span style="font-style: italic;"><I> Reporting Guide</I></span>.</p>
<p>Object prompts can be used in many places, including the following:</p>
<ul type="disc" class="whs1">
	
<li class=p><p>Object prompt containing attributes: Any place that 
 can accept a list of attributes.</p></li>
	
<li class=p><p>Object prompt containing metrics: Embedded in a Set 
 qualification filter, as well as any place that accepts metrics. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>When you create an object prompt, you can decide whether users can select 
 from a specified list of MicroStrategy objects, or you can define a specific 
 search that presents an up-to-date set of objects for users to select 
 from. Including a search object in the object prompt, rather than specifying 
 the exact object names, allows users to select from new objects that might 
 not have been part of the project when you first created the prompt.</p>
<h2>Prerequisites</h2>
<ul type="disc" class="whs1">
	
<li class=p><p>DHTML must be enabled. See 
<a href="DHTML-only_features_in_Web.htm">Enabling 
 DHTML in MicroStrategy Web</a>.</p></li>
	
<li class=p><p>If you want analysts to answer a prompt by selecting 
 from the results of a search object, a search object must already be created.</p></li>
</ul>
<h2>To create an object prompt</h2>
<ol type="1" class="whs2">
	
<li class=p><p>Do one of the following:</p></li>
	<ul>
<li style="list-style: disc;" type=disc class=p><p>On the MicroStrategy 
 Web home page, click <span style="font-weight: bold;"><B>Create Prompt</B></span>. 
 The Create Prompt page opens, with a list of the types of prompts you 
 can create. Click <span style="font-weight: bold;"><B>Object</B></span>.</p></li>
		
<li style="list-style: disc;" type=disc class=p><p>From any folder 
 page, click, the <span style="font-weight: bold;"><B>Create</B></span> <span 
 style="font-weight: bold;"><B>Prompt</B></span> <img src="images/Create_prompt.gif" x-maintain-ratio="TRUE" width="14px" height="15px" border="0" class="img_whs3"> icon on the menu.</p></li>
	</ul>
</ol>
<p class="whs4">To create the list of 
 objects from which the user can select</p>
<p class="whs5">You can only use objects of one type in an 
 object prompt. For example, you can include metrics or attributes in a 
 single object prompt, but not both. To prompt for multiple object types 
 in the same report, you must create an object prompt for each object type.</p>
<ol start="2" type="1" class="whs2">
	
<li class=p><p>Choose one of the following options:</p></li>
	<ul type="disc" class="whs1">
		
<li class=p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><B>Use a predefined 
 list of objects</B></span>: Select this option to create a list of metrics 
 or attributes from which users can choose. Click <span style="font-weight: bold;"><B>Add</B></span>, 
 select the objects, and click <span style="font-weight: bold;"><B>OK</B></span>. 
 To remove an object, highlight it and click <span style="font-weight: bold;"><B>Remove</B></span>. 
 To remove all items, click <span style="font-weight: bold;"><B>Clear</B></span>.</p></li>
		
<li class=p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><B>Use the result 
 of a search object</B></span>: If you have previously created a search object, 
 browse to and select the search object or specify the name of the search 
 object. A search object searches for and displays specific project objects 
 when the user executes the report. This lets you prompt the user with 
 the most up-to-date objects in the project.</p></li>
	</ul>
</ol>
<ol start="3" type="1" class="whs2">
	
<li class=p><p class="whs6">On the <span style="font-weight: bold;"><B>General</B></span> 
 tab, <span>s</span><span>pecify a title and description for the prompt 
 in the </span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><B>Title</B></span><span> and 
 </span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><B>Instructions</B></span><span> fields. 
 </span></p></li>
</ol>
<p class="whs4">To restrict the number 
 of prompt answers</p>
<ol start="5" type="1" class="whs2">
	
<li class=p><p class="whs6">To require users to answer 
 the prompt before running the report, specify whether the prompt requires 
 an answer. Select the <span style="font-weight: bold;"><B>Prompt answer is 
 required</B></span> check box. If you require an answer, it is a good idea 
 to also provide a default answer, otherwise a subscription to this report 
 will fail.</p></li>
	
<li class=p><p class="whs6">Set the maximum and/or minimum 
 number of prompt answers allowed, if desired. Enter these numbers in the 
 <span style="font-weight: bold;"><B>Minimum number of answers </B></span>and<span 
 style="font-weight: bold;"><B> Maximum number of answers</B></span> fields. </p></li>
	
<li class=p><p class="whs6">Determine whether users can 
 save and reuse their prompt answers, and if so, how many prompt answers 
 they can save for the prompt. From the <span style="font-weight: bold;"><B>Personal 
 answers</B></span> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><B>allowed</B></span> drop-down 
 list, select one of the following: </p></li>
	<ul>
<li style="list-style: disc;" type=disc class=p><p class="whs6"><span 
 style="font-weight: bold;"><B>None</B></span>: This setting does not allow you 
 to save and reuse prompt answers.</p></li>
		
<li style="list-style: disc;" type=disc class=p><p class="whs6"><span 
 style="font-weight: bold;"><B>Single</B></span>: This setting allows you to save 
 and reuse only one prompt answer.</p></li>
		
<li style="list-style: disc;" type=disc class=p><p class="whs6"><span 
 style="font-weight: bold;"><B>Multiple</B></span>: This setting allows you to 
 save multiple prompt answers.</p></li>
	</ul>
</ol>
<p class="whs4"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><B>To 
 specify the layout and display style of the prompt</B></span></p>
<ol start="8" type="1" class="whs2">
	
<li class=p><p>On the <span style="font-weight: bold;"><B>Style </B></span>tab, 
 from the <span style="font-weight: bold;"><B>Display style</B></span> drop-down 
 list, specify a presentation style, such as Check box, for the prompt. 
 This is how the prompt is displayed to the user. </p></li>
</ol>
<ol start="10" type="1" class="whs2">
	
<li class=p><p>To ensure that the prompt's text fields and options 
 are a fixed size, select the <span style="font-weight: bold;"><B>Fixed textbox 
 width </B></span>and/or <span style="font-weight: bold;"><B>Fixed textbox height</B></span> 
 check boxes, and specify the size of the prompt's text fields and options 
 in the fields.</p></li>
	
<li class=p><p>To determine how prompt options are arranged, from the 
 <span style="font-weight: bold;"><B>Orientation</B></span> drop-down list, select 
 <span style="font-weight: bold;"><B>Vertical</B></span> or <span style="font-weight: bold;"><B>Horizontal</B></span>.</p></li>
	<ul>
<li style="list-style: disc;" type=disc class=p><p>To determine 
 the number of prompt answers displayed in a row or column (depending on 
 alignment), enter a number in the <span style="font-weight: bold;"><B>Items 
 per column/row</B></span> field.</p></li>
	</ul>
</ol>
<ol start="12" type="1" class="whs2">
	
<li class=p><p>To determine whether to allow users to use a search 
 box to locate prompt answers, from the <span style="font-weight: bold;"><B>Show 
 search box</B></span> drop-down list select FALSE or TRUE. Searching for objects 
 allows analysts to quickly locate specific objects to use to answer the 
 prompt.</p></li>
</ol>
<ol start="13" type="1" class="whs2">
	
<li class=p><p>If you are using the Shopping Cart display style, you 
 can select the <span style="font-weight: bold;"><B>Use folder structure </B></span>check 
 box to display the prompt choices in a folder structure. This option, 
 available for search objects only, is useful when the same object with 
 the same name is saved in multiple folders. Use the up and down ordering 
 arrows to reorder prompt objects. </p></li>
	<ul type="disc" class="whs1">
		
<li class=p><p>To allow users to navigate above the root folder 
 when searching, select the <span style="font-weight: bold;"><B>Allow navigation 
 above search root</B></span> check box. </p></li>
	</ul>
</ol>
<p class="whs4"><span><B><span style="font-weight: bold;"><B>To 
 save the prompt</B></span></B></span></p>
<ol start="14" type="1" class="whs2">
	
<li class=p><p>To save the prompt, select <span style="font-weight: bold;"><B>Save 
 As</B></span>. The Save As dialog box opens.</p></li>
	
<li class=p><p>Specify a name, description, and the location in which 
 to save the prompt and click <span style="font-weight: bold;"><B>OK</B></span>.</p></li>
</ol>
<p class="whs6">You can now add your new prompt to a report. 
 See 
<a href="Add_prompts_to_reports.htm">Adding a prompt to a report</a>.</p>
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